The Henry Wine Group - Sept - Dec 2017

Toll-free Order Desk: 800.669.9428

The Henry Wine Group

on the property and converting that vineyard to dry farming. In 1999 Frog’s Leap releases its first “Rutherford” bottling. In 2006, the new hospitality center and administrative offices are completed; the new “old” farmhouse is the first LEED (Silver) certified building in the California wine industry. The Rossi vineyard is bought a year later, and replanting and conversion to dry farming begins there. In 2013, Frank Leeds is named “Grower of the Year” by the Napa Valley Grapegrowers Association, and Rory Williams becomes vineyardist. A year later, the first vintage of Estate Grown and Bottled Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon is released. We end my visit at John and his wife Tori’s house, the old Rossi estate, overlooking the stunning vines planted on the famed Rutherford Bench, with the Mayacamas

This is the way Napa Valley used to be farmed; until the mid-1970s when agribusiness and irrigation companies convinced growers that converting to drip irrigation would give them larger yields. The problem with this type of irrigation system, though, is that the vines’ root system has no need to go deep into the soil to find water, as all of the water is at the surface. So, can there be such a notion as “Terroir” when this is the farming method? John thinks not. According to John, “Grapevines are living, sentient beings with their days and nights consumed by concern for vital life choices…vines make critical decisions each and every day. So how does a grapevine make these decisions? They do so by taking information from their environment.” As we walked the vineyard, Rory pointed out how the tips of the tendrils on a vine have stopped reaching upwards. “This vine has decided that it has enough growth in terms of vegetation and it can now focus its energies on ripening its fruit.” John goes on to say “But what happens so often in most vineyards? The vines are lined up, their branches forced into restrictive trellising and their growing tips are cut off. They are exposed to toxic pesticides and fed strong, synthetic fertilizers. They are forced to drink water when they are not thirsty. Birds are discouraged, insects are killed, and the oak tree is cut down. So much of modern farming is dedicated to removing the very information that these plants need to succeed. In this light our farming choices are not radical concepts but rather the very basics of what must be done to reunite a vine with its environment.”  The health of the vines and health of the soil bear this out. We dug a small distance into the dirt. Indeed, only 4 to 6 inches down I found soil that was rich in microbial life and earthworm population. A pound of this kind of healthy soil can hold 9 pounds of water!! Who needs irrigation when this can be achieved with some diligence and care? In 1993, Larry Turley sold his share of the winery to the Williams family, and went on to some (!) success himself. The winery moves to the Red Barn property and begins replanting the phyloxerra- ridden vines

Mountains in the near distance and the sun setting on a beautiful evening. We open older vintages of Frog’s Leap wines, such as 1997 Cabernet (rocking good) and 1986 Merlot alongside the same vintage of Ch. Figeac St. Emilion (the Frog’s Leap is

deserving of the company). We dine on melons from the organic garden wrapped in prosciutto, and lamb chops from the grill. We toast to the past, present, and future.

So what do I take away from my visit to Frog’s Leap Winery? Here are a few impressions : A man, a family, with a great passion for wine and dedication to doing what is right….a team at the hospitality center that takes that word, hospitality, at its face value and lives it. A general manager, Jonah Beer, who knows more about viticulture that any GM I have ever met at a winery. A sales team, Michelle and Kristy, who believe in their product with all of their hearts and therefore have a blast selling it. Happy, content vines planted on living, breathing soil. A clean environment and sustainability for the future. And in Rory’s hands, a very bright future indeed.

Tasting notes on following page.

September–December 2017

xi